Goods support for a loading foot or the like



March 21, 1961 E AKE sJOBLoM GOODS SUPPORT FOR A LOADING FOOT OR THE LIKE Filed 001;. 20, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 21, 1961 E. AKE SJGBLOM 75 GOODS SUPPORT FOR A LOADING FOOT OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 20, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 #76; I4 27 FIG/7 FIG/8 March 21, 1961 E. AKE SJOBLOM GOODS SUPPORT FOR A LOADING FOOT OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 20, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 GOODS SUPPORT FOR A LOADING F001 GK THE L Eric A lie Sjiiblom, Orebro, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Grythyttans Stalmiibler, Grythyttan, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Get. 20, 1958, Ser. No. 768,125

Claims priority, application Sweden, Oct. 28, 1951 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-4) The present invention refers to a vertical supporting section adapted to be removably secured to one edge of a storage pallet or the like the load supporting surface of which is elevated from the substructure by means of webbings arranged at least at the pallet corners. The goods lateral supporting sections includes two gripping members adapted to keep the section in a fixed vertical position at the load pallet edge, each gripping member being formed with three bearing surfaces at right angles to one another. An object of the invention is to provide a vertical goods supporting section which is easily secured to and removed from load pallets, and the like. Another object of the invention is to provide a lateral supporting frame adapted to be removably secured to a load pallet and including at least two of said vertical sections.

In transport undertakings it is now more and more common to convey goods on a load pallet consisting of a supporting surface which is elevated by means of foot supports from the substructure on which the load pallet rests, so that the clevis of a clevis truck may be readily introduced underneath the load pallet to raise and remove the sarne. in order to be able to utilize such a load pallet to the whole of its capacity, it is desirable to provide lateral supporting sections on the load pallet which prevent the goods from being dropped off the pallet during transport. To this end it has been custornary practice to fit the load pallets with ventical goods supporting sections on their opposite sides at least. Such sections have either been permanently secured to the load pallets or the load pallets have been provided with special fittings in which the sections have been removably secured. This involves, however, a complication of the load pallet and a high cost of the same.

The invention avoids the drawbacks connected with the goods supports for load pallets as hitherto used, and is substantially distinguished by the provision of a vertical goods supporting section adapted to be removably secured to one edge of the pallet, said section having gripping members on the sides extending at right angles to said one edge side of the load pallet, which gripping members are provided with projections adapted to extend inwardly of the pallet in the space between the lower side of the load supporting surface and the inner vertical surface of the webbing, substantially parallel to said one edge side of the load pallet for removal of the vertical section from the pallet, the gripping members are adapted to be displaced oppositely apart substantially in a direction parallel to said one edge side of the load pallet. Means are also provided for locking the gripping members against displacement when the vertical section is mounted on the pallet edge.

A preferred form of embodiment of the invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompan 'ing drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective View of a load pallet provided with a goods lateral supporting frame including two vertical end sections according to the 2,975,929 Patented Mar. 21, 1961 invention, and wherein Fig. 2 shows a gripping member for the goods supporting section viewed from the gable of a load pallet, and Fig. 3 shows the same gripping member viewed from the side of the load pallet and Fig. 4 shows the same gripping member viewed from above. Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of gripping members for use in a load pallet constructed from U-sections. Fig. 6 shows the gripping member according to Fig. 5 viewed from above. Fig. 7 shows a goods vertical supporting section on a smaller scale with a locking contrivance for the gripping members. Fig. 8 shows a goods supporting section having a pivot connection, and Fig. 9 shows a goods vertical supporting section pulled apart to be arranged upon or removed from a load pallet. Fig. 10 shows the arrangement of lateral supports adapted to be connected between vertical end sections, and Fig. 11 shows a method of connecting such lateral supports with one another. Fig. 12 represents on a larger scale rigid means to secure lateral supports viewed from the side. Fig. 13 shows the same means viewed from the end, and Fig. 14 shows the same means viewed from above. Fig. 15 shows movable contrivances to secure lateral supports. Fig. 16 shows the arrangements according to Fig. 15 viewed from the end thereof, and Fig. 17 shows the same arrangements viewed from above. Fig. 18 shows a locking device for the securing means according to Fig. 15 viewed from above.

The vertical goods supporting section according to the form of embodiment shown in the drawings consists of a frame, preferably constructed from bent and welded metal tubes. The frame consists of a tube bent to U-shape with two substantially parallel shank portions 1 and 2 and an intermediate portion 3 connecting the same. Welded near each of the free ends of the shanks l, 2 is a tube bent to somewhat over the one shooter shank portion 4 of said tube extending substantially parallel with the intermediate portion 3, and the other longer shank portion 5 extending in a divergent direction from the shanks l and 2 of the U-tube upwardly in welded engagement with the intermediate portion 3.. Straight tubes 6 are welded respectively intermediate shank portions 4 and the intermediate portion 3 of the U-shaped tube, and straight tubes 7 are welded to brace tubes 6 laterally between shank portions 5 and the legs of the U-shaped tube, respectively. The vertical goods section consequently consists of two stiff par-ts which are only connected by the portion 8 of the intermediate portion 3 which lies intermediate the welded connections of the upper extremities of the straight tubes 5. This latter part 8 is made resilient so that the two section halves may be separated, as will appear from Fig. 9. They may be separated either by the fact that the frame portion 8 is resilient, or that the section is provided with a joint 9, as shown in Fig. 8, or that the section is constructed with the intermediate portion 3 consisting of sections adapted to be displaced telescopically relative to one another. A locking contrivance is adapted for the locking of the frame halves in an adjusted position, which contrivance may consist of an endless band 10 which is vertically displaceable on the section. When the band 10 is displaced in the downward direction, the frame halves will consequently be brought together.

The vertical goods supporting section is provided with two gripping members 11, which are formed so that they may grip about a corner of a load pallet in a manner to rigidly hold the goods section in place. The load pallet is of a conventional design and consists of a number of boards 12 forming a load supporting surface. The boards are fastened with nails on the lower side at the ends and in the middle thereof by means of transversely extending boards 13, which have skirting blocks arranged under the same. The skirting blocks 14 rest in turn onlongitudinal- 3 ly extending boards fastened with nails. The space between the load bottom boards 12 and the lowermost boards 15 is adapted so that the clevis of a clevis truck may be passed freely in beneath the load bottom. A gripping member 11 is welded to each corner of the vertical section, where the shanks 1, 2 of the U-shaped tube terminate, and consists of two welded angular sections welded together at right angles, wherein one shank 16 is welded parallel to the bottom of the section and the other shank 17 extends at right angles out from the bottom of the section. The shank 17 projecting from the frame extends for a distance which is somewhat longer than the dimension of the skirting block 14, in the longitudinal direction of the load pallet. This shank 17 is provided at the free end thereof with a welded angular section 18 extending in parallel to the frame bottom inwardly toward the load foot and is placed so as to bear on the inner corner between the skirting block 14 and the lower side of the load supporting surface, when the gripping member 11 is laid upon the outer corner of the load pallet, as will appear from Fig. 1. The length of this angular section 18 is such that after the vertical section has been lowered upon the pallet with the section halves in the separated condition, upon construction of the section halves the portions 18 of the gripping members extend inwardly underneath the load supporting surface. By moving the locking bands downwardly as far as possible, the vertical section will be steadied on the load pallet and cannot move in any direction.

The form of embodiment of the gripping members shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is intended to be used for a load' pallet made from U-sections 19. Here, the gripping members are also constructed from two U-sections 20 and 21 welded together at right angles to one another. The part 21 projecting from the frame bottom is provided with an inwardly extending part 22 fitting in underneath the frame of the load pallet to lock the vertical vertical section, so that the latter cannot be pulled out in the longitudinal direction of the foot.

The lateral supports are so designed as to permit inter mediate two vertical end sections without the necessity of any special contrivance on the vertical section. The lateral supports consist of a rectangular frame 23 of bent metal tubes and are made of a size such that they either cover a whole side or a portion thereof (for instance one half of the side). The surface within the frame may be filled with panels, nets or the like made from metal, wood, fiber, plastic or the like. The short sides 24 of the frame, that is to say, the sides intended to be connected to the vertical end sections, are provided with both rigid and with pivotal fittings. The rigid fittings 25, 26, which appear from Figs. 12-14, consist of substantially rectangular sheet-metal pieces welded to opposite sides of the frame tube 24 and displaced for a distance relatively to each other in the longitudinal direction of the tube 24. The fittings 25, 26 extend for a distance outside the frame and are bent at their extremities to a circular shape so as to be permitted to embrace [the tube 2 in the adjacent vertical section. The outer corners of the fittings facing one another are cut obliquely approximately at an angle of 45 so that an intermediate space a is obtained between the fittings, which is at least equal to the diameter of the tube portion 2 to be embraced in the vertical end section. The rigid fittings 25, 26 are located near one end of the short side 24 of the lateral support, while the pivotal fittings 27, 28 are located near the other end. The pivotal fittings 27 28, the appearance of which will be seen from Figs. 15-18, have approximately the same configuration as have the rigid fittings 25, 26, that is to say, they consist of rectangular sheet-metal pieces, which are bent at their ends so'as to be permitted to embrace together a tube portion 1 or 2 on the vertical end section. However, the fittings 27, 28 are not secured directly to the tubes 24 of the lateral frame but are welded to a rectangular plate 29, which rotatably connected to the tube 24 by means of a pin 30 extending therethrough. A washer 31 is inserted between the plate 29 and the tube 24, so that the rectangular plate 29 is kept at some distance from the tube 24. The plate 29 extends for a distance outside the fittings, and the part 32 thereof is bent inwardly towards the tube 24 so as to form a small angle to the longitudinal axis of the tube 24. A locking strap 33 formed so as to embrace the tube 24 and the plate portion 32, is adapted to be thrust over the portion 32 of the plate to lock the fittings 27, 28 in their adjusted position. The pin 39, which keeps the fitting, may also be extended for a distance outside the tube 24, whereby the fitting may be displaced at right angles to the tube, when the fitting takes its swung-out position, which might be necessary to permit the swinging in of a lateral support in its position between the vertical sections. At the insertion of a lateral support 23, it is first brought into an oblique position to the vertical sections, so that the outer frame tube 1 or 2 in the same may be introduced into the space a between the rigid fittings 25, 26. The lateral support 23 is then swung down to a level with the lateral tubes 1, 2 of the gable supports, and the rotatable fittings 27, 28 swung away beforehand on each side are turned so as to embrace the corresponding tube parts 1 or 2 of the gable supports. The locking straps -33 are then thrust over the projecting parts 32 of the rectangular plates, and are wedged.

The lateral supports may also be connected mutually by the arrangement of apertured lugs 34 on adjacent tube parts, as shown in Figs. 11, a pivot pin 35 being thrust through said lugs. shelves and covers may also be connected with the gable supports in the same manner as the lateral supports. These shelves may then be divided into two parts 36, 37 pivoted relatively to each other, whereby rigid fittings may be used and insertion and removal may take place by the parts 36, 37 being turned angularly relatively to one another. Shelves may also be employed that rest by means of welded fittings 38 on horizontal tube parts 7 in the vertical sections, as will appear from Fig. 1.

What I claim is:

l. A vertical end section adapted to be removably secured to an end edge of a rectangular load pallet having a horizontal load-supporting surface supported by rectangular skirting blocks arranged at the corners of said load-supporting surface, said vertical end section comprising two coplanar vertical shank portions connected together at their upper ends and separable at their lower ends for coplanar movement relative to each other, a pallet gripping member secured to the lower portion of each of said vertical shank portions, each of said gripping members having a horizontal portion adapted to contiguously engage the upper surface of the pallet load supporting surface, a first vertical portion parallel to the pallet end edge and adapted to contiguously engage the corresponding outer end surface of the associated pallet corner skirting block, a second vertical portion at right angles to said first vertical portion and adapted to contiguously engage the corresponding outer surface of said associated corner skirting block, and a third vertical portion extending parallel to said first vertical portion and adapted to contiguously engage the face of said corner skirting block which is opposite the end surface engaged by said first vertical portion, the lower ends of said vertical shank portions being normally maintained adjacent each other.

2. A vertical end section as defined in claim 1 wherein said end section is of unitary construction and said vertical shank portions are resiliently connected to each other at their upper ends by means of a bendable metal bridging connection, the lower ends of said shank portions being biased together by said resilient bridging connection.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said two vertical shank portions of said end section are each of in addition to lateral supports,

unitary construction and are pivotally connected to each other at their upper end portions by means of a hinge connection, and locking means releasably connecting together the lower ends of said shank portions to restrain the same against outward coplanar movement relative to each other.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further including locking means releasably connecting together the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent lower ends of said shank portions to restrain the same 10 2,615,747

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wolgamott Apr. 14, 1908 Wilcox Aug. 4, 1914 Diescher Feb. 20, 1917 Matarese -2 Mar. 18, 1941 Olson Oct. 28, 1952 

